2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and events and articles have been popping up all over the place celebrating this Pulitzer Prize winning classic. I attended one myself last spring in South Bend, In where the St. Joseph County Public Library chose “To Kill a Mockingbird” for it’s One Book, One Michiana program, which featured several unique events centered on this book (including a tea with Harper Lee and Truman Capote!)

“In a Southern novel of unusual narrative charm eight-year-old Jean Louise, nicknamed Scout, tells about growing up as the daughter of a widowed lawyer, Atticus Finch, in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. She and her older brother Jem happily occupy themselves with resisting “progressive education,” bedeviling the neighbors, and stalking the local bogeyman–until their father’s courageous defense of a black man falsely accused of rape introduces them to the problems of race prejudice and brings adult injustice and violence into their childhood world. Despite a melodramatic climax and traces of sermonizing, the characters and locale are depicted with insight and a rare blend of wit and compassion.” ((Reviewed September 1, 1960))